In a news announcement last week, US Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt stated "the invasion of noxious weeds has created a level of destruction to America's environment and economy that is matched only by the damage caused by floods, earthquakes, wildfire, hurricanes and mudslides." Given recent media attention to the loss of native species, this week's In The News focuses on the spread of exotic plants across the globe, considered by some experts to be "the second-most important threat" behind habitat destruction. The eight resources discussed offer information on exotics, from local case studies to international examples, with comprehensive discussions of the topic.